For fall, Christopher Kane took a dip in the dark side while ultimately staying true to his sunny disposition. His experiments with black nylon made for some intimidating, frightening looks that bordered on trash-bag chic, especially given the models’ decidedly matted hair. Yet the clothes’ cold ferocity was tempered with girlish bright knit sweaters, corduroy cargo pants, and playfully oversized butler jackets. Also tipping the balance toward lighthearted were jaunty little purses with plastic safety buckles (a reference to Kane’s debut collection in 2007), his first bonafide bag line.

A few bulky fur coats, like those sported by oligarch wives, will surely raise questions around the appropriateness of a young designer incorporating so much of the stuff. Same with a liberal smattering of glimmering crystals that smacked of that dreaded word: costume. But the punchy pink prints and geometrically ruffled dresses that ended the show should be puzzling enough to restore one’s faith in Kane’s leading-edge status.